Frank A. Meyer – column: protective shield of citizens

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Switzerland joins the European Sky Shield missile defense system. How good it sounds in this unfriendly world, which again disturbs Europe with warlike disasters. In Ukraine, civilians are killed every day by bombs and rockets. The offended country urgently wants to become a member of NATO – under the protective shield of Europe and the guarantee of the protection of the US nuclear power.

Meanwhile, Switzerland has always enjoyed this protection with a rich self-image, well protected in the shadow of nefarious threats – if the matter is serious, NATO will fix everything.

Security on order.

Yes to the current protective shield, no to the prohibition of nuclear weapons. Yes to the purchase of US fighter jets, no to the transfer of Swiss ammunition to Ukraine. Finger-pointing, the Confederacy examines the menu of the North Atlantic security proposal: what do we choose? What do we like? What is our appetite now?

Switzerland has enjoyed this “au choix” protective shield for a long time – not only militarily, a capable little nation is also protected from injustice economically because it also uses the EU menu. The Swiss also evaluate and criticize their wide range of offerings – with the self-confidence of regular guests.

From distinguished guests!

The flourishes around the framework agreement with the European Union exemplify this sense of self, the fuss, and sometimes charades, about dealing with the world’s most important economic community, to which you belong anyway and from whose economic protection one benefits in any case. The European Union brings the continent together, Switzerland sits on the throne in the middle without being a member, even as an important partner.
Why change something in this status?

Unfortunately, unfortunately, many friends of Switzerland from the Western world of values ​​meanwhile see things differently. They are annoyed by the refusals of the Swiss. They demand solidarity. They insist on a roadmap for European politics. They even go to the purse of a country that doesn’t know how to muddy the waters – “to Russia’s Alpine assets,” as the US likes to say: into the money of the oligarchs.

Switzerland is like a treasure trove. EU as a refuge. NATO as a shield. Shouldn’t this apply anymore? No longer allowed to be as usual?

Yes, the flow of the world is so weightless. Even eternal beliefs change. Sometimes overnight, as a criminal in the Kremlin made it clear to the Helvetian cashiers of Russian capital by his war.

Refusal of dubious deposits, disclosure of accounts, distribution of funds – all this is completely unusual from the point of view of a peaceful nation, and in the eyes of its financial industry – downright a historical scandal.

So the question arises: where does Switzerland want to go? Offside? What does Switzerland want to be? Resort for the wealthiest?

Yes, there are two Switzerlands to choose from: the Switzerland of greed and the Switzerland of genius – one is critically commented, the other is praised internationally. The land of eternal voting has a choice. Or he may delay, delay, and delay making a decision about his image of himself and his significance in the world. That would then be the political self-deprecation of the Confederates.

There is a good term for this too:

citizen shield.

Source: Blick